Japan to see average to warmer weather in Sept-Nov

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will see mostly average to warmer weather from September to November, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on Thursday.

Eastern Japan, including the densely populated Tokyo area, western Japan and northern Japan will have a 40 percent chance each of average and higher-than-average temperatures for the period, the agency said in its monthly three-month forecast.

The agency downgraded the chances of hotter weather in September in eastern and western Japan to 40 percent from 50 percent last month, which could help relieve the burden on the power grid at a time of a near record low in nuclear plant utilization after the March disaster in Fukushima.

But the agency upgraded the chance of hotter weather in northern Japan next month.

Japanese utilities including the disaster-hit Tohoku Electric Power Co and Kansai Electric Power Co have so far managed to avoid blackouts despite a near-record low nuclear plant utilization rate after the atomic disaster in Fukushima following a March quake and tsunami.